A nice review of Tampa in the newspaper... someone that actually gets it!
http://www.tampabay.com/news/article622104.ece
Singalong with Eddie
By Sean Daly, Times Pop Music Critic
Published Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:35 PM
TAMPA
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder was confused. The singer thought he was playing a Thursday gig in Tampa. But the venue's name "has something to do with St. Petersburg," he head-scratched. Plus a Canadian flag flapped in the rafters.
"Where in the (bleep) are we?" he asked the 13,746 raucous fans at the St. Pete Times Forum.
For an answer, Vedder eventually settled on the geographical nirvana of "the here and now," which must be the mercurial front man's favorite place to rock. Because not only was he in a goofily giving mood with his onstage beverages (he covertly passed a dark bottle to the folks in the front row), but the 43-year-old and his longtime battery mates spent more than two thunderous hours hammering out the band's most arena-churning sing-alongs.
A "hits show" isn't always the case with Pearl Jam, which routinely swaps out great chunks of set lists, focusing instead on rarities and B-sides. After all, in almost two decades of work, the band has nurtured a rabid fan base that knows every word, every nuance.
But hey, the faithful flip for the know-'em-by-hearters, too. And after opening song Sometimes, the stage lights ignited and the band started one heckuva run, ultimately churning out such arena-rousers as Corduroy, Why Go, Daughter, Betterman — all the way to an encore takes on Alive and Yellow Ledbetter.
"This is dedicated to anyone who happens to live in Bradenton, Fla.," Vedder said, launching into the sweet refrain of Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.
One of the Seattle band's first hits, Even Flow, was stretched to epically awesome lengths, with lead guitarist Mike McCready maniacally shredding as Vedder sauntered offstage looking for a refill.
Since their grungy beginning in the early "90s, Pearl Jam has properly morphed into a complex, multifaceted rock machine. It's also a highly political crew. But Vedder was even engaging with his speechifying. At the end of hypnotically hopeful Wishlist, he added a wartime coda of "Bring 'em home, bring 'em home."
In a nostalgic story about growing up in the bleachers of Chicago's Wrigley Field, Vedder tucked in a plug for his candidate of choice, Barack Obama. (The 30-something crowd unloaded a mix of boos and huzzahs.)
Through it all, Pearl Jam never lost the crowd's energy, everyone in-house giving back as much as they got. A haunting Black had the crowd a cappella cooing by song's end. And the night's highlight was Vedder's stunning acoustic cover of the Beatles' You've Got to Hide Your Love Away.
It's inevitable that people will complain about the show's sound quality. But if there were ever a band to play in a cavernous arena, it's these guys. Vedder & Co. rock and rage from the bottoms of their beautifully messy hearts.
Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8467. His Pop Life blog is at blogs.tampabay.com/popmusic.
Singalong with Eddie
By Sean Daly, Times Pop Music Critic
Published Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:35 PM
TAMPA
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder was confused. The singer thought he was playing a Thursday gig in Tampa. But the venue's name "has something to do with St. Petersburg," he head-scratched. Plus a Canadian flag flapped in the rafters.
"Where in the (bleep) are we?" he asked the 13,746 raucous fans at the St. Pete Times Forum.
For an answer, Vedder eventually settled on the geographical nirvana of "the here and now," which must be the mercurial front man's favorite place to rock. Because not only was he in a goofily giving mood with his onstage beverages (he covertly passed a dark bottle to the folks in the front row), but the 43-year-old and his longtime battery mates spent more than two thunderous hours hammering out the band's most arena-churning sing-alongs.
A "hits show" isn't always the case with Pearl Jam, which routinely swaps out great chunks of set lists, focusing instead on rarities and B-sides. After all, in almost two decades of work, the band has nurtured a rabid fan base that knows every word, every nuance.
But hey, the faithful flip for the know-'em-by-hearters, too. And after opening song Sometimes, the stage lights ignited and the band started one heckuva run, ultimately churning out such arena-rousers as Corduroy, Why Go, Daughter, Betterman — all the way to an encore takes on Alive and Yellow Ledbetter.
"This is dedicated to anyone who happens to live in Bradenton, Fla.," Vedder said, launching into the sweet refrain of Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.
One of the Seattle band's first hits, Even Flow, was stretched to epically awesome lengths, with lead guitarist Mike McCready maniacally shredding as Vedder sauntered offstage looking for a refill.
Since their grungy beginning in the early "90s, Pearl Jam has properly morphed into a complex, multifaceted rock machine. It's also a highly political crew. But Vedder was even engaging with his speechifying. At the end of hypnotically hopeful Wishlist, he added a wartime coda of "Bring 'em home, bring 'em home."
In a nostalgic story about growing up in the bleachers of Chicago's Wrigley Field, Vedder tucked in a plug for his candidate of choice, Barack Obama. (The 30-something crowd unloaded a mix of boos and huzzahs.)
Through it all, Pearl Jam never lost the crowd's energy, everyone in-house giving back as much as they got. A haunting Black had the crowd a cappella cooing by song's end. And the night's highlight was Vedder's stunning acoustic cover of the Beatles' You've Got to Hide Your Love Away.
It's inevitable that people will complain about the show's sound quality. But if there were ever a band to play in a cavernous arena, it's these guys. Vedder & Co. rock and rage from the bottoms of their beautifully messy hearts.
Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8467. His Pop Life blog is at blogs.tampabay.com/popmusic.
For those who scoff at "Jamily" in my name... 9 years ago, when my first daughter was born there were jokes about whether my priority would be my family or PJ. I smiled and quipped "I am a JamilyMan." What was a family joke became a hated term among jammers. Didn't see that one coming!
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Comments
Of course.
This is a fan board. How can you not get that?
I'll ride the wave where it takes me...
San Antonio 04/03, Raleigh 04/03, Dallas 06/03, Gorge 09/05, Vancouver 09/05, LA II 07/06, Tampa 06/08, Chicago II 08/09, ACL 10/09, Vedder solo 1&2 10/12, Dallas 11/13, ACL 10/14 1&2, OKC 2022, ATX 9/23 1&2
Some people review concerts that have no clue. There was a review of WPB that was painful to read.
http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=288492
When I read that review, it was clear that the person writing was not a fan of the band and did not understand what their traditional shows are like.
When I read this review, it was clear that he was putting some knowledge behind his words. There is a difference between writing out of your arse and being a fan.
Having said that, if you are only making that comment to be argumentative, then I would ask that you find a different place to spew negativity. Thanks in advance.
I get where you're coming from and usually I'd agree with you, however ...
It was clear that the guy who reviewed the West Palm show from the Miami Herald most certainly did not "get it" -- he wrote a scathing review based on the fact that they didn't play enough "hits." Apparently, he was unaware that's not how PJ has ever done things.
Also, he said Severed Hand sounded like Welcome to the Jungle, and Yellow Ledbetter was a Red Hot Chili Peppers homage. It was a complete fuckjob.
It wasn't that he didn't like the show ... it was the reasons, which were stupid.
This guy from Tampa, at least, understands what a PJ show is supposed to be about:
"A "hits show" isn't always the case with Pearl Jam, which routinely swaps out great chunks of set lists, focusing instead on rarities and B-sides. After all, in almost two decades of work, the band has nurtured a rabid fan base that knows every word, every nuance."
for the least they could possibly do